Taxis carry condoms and hope in Zambia’s war on Aids

Garish coloured lights advertise Livingstone’s bars and nightclubs, which cater to an assortment of tourists, truck drivers, army soldiers and scores of brightly painted bar girls. The most popular nightclub is under a big marquee and its catchy, rhythmic music fills the dusty street. Taxi drivers linger nearby, waiting for the late night business of ferrying the bar-goers to hotels, boarding houses and brothels. They also offer their passengers a more unusual service: condoms, along with advice on safe sex. Yesterday’s UNAids report, which shows that almost 30 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are already infected with HIV or Aids, has a particularly chilling relevance to Zambia. The country has one of the world’s highest rates of HIV/Aids infection, with nearly 20% of the adult population infected. Livingstone, a tourist centre perched above Victoria Falls, has the country’s highest infection rate: 31% of adults, according to government statistics. Despite the desperate statistics, the town offers glimpses of hope. A project to train taxi drivers to act as safe sex teachers and mentors is one of several reaching out to groups exposed to the threat of the virus. “Aids is a severe problem here. We all know people who have died and people who are suffering. A taxi driver died recently,” says cabbie David Kanandu. “We’ve learned how to protect ourselves and we are telling others. We give pamphlets and condoms to our passengers. We tell them how to reduce their risks.” Fishermen, army soldiers, truck drivers, teenagers and prostitutes are all targeted in programmes designed at Livingstone’s Sepo centre, which receives funding and training from the Brighton-based International HIV/Aids Alliance. The taxi drivers attended a two-day weekend workshop two months ago and now they are enthusiastic sex counsellors. “This has opened our minds,” says Mr Kanandu. “We’ve learned that having sex must be done with knowledge. That way we can avoid catching Aids.” The taxi drivers hope to expand their programme. They are talking about setting up an outdoor screening of sex education videos near their ranks. “People would come to see the videos and then we could have group discussions,” says Wilson Mvula, 28. A key part of the community programmes is the promotion of voluntary testing and counselling. “Everyone is a winner in the testing,” says nurse Precious Mafo, who runs the Maramba clinic’s testing centre. “Those who are negative are obviously happy and are encouraged to take steps to avoid infection. Those who are positive are counselled to live as positively as possible, to have good diets and habits, and this also helps many people.” Good diet helps, but only to a point. As the UNAids report points out, anti-retroviral drugs are desperately scarce in Africa, and Zambia is no exception. With 1 million Zambians living with HIV and Aids, it is estimated that 100,000 need anti-retrovirals immediately. Jethro Muchindu, 47, found out he was HIV positive in 1987. “I have been doing very well for a long time, but I would really love to get on the anti-retrovirals. Sometimes I get sick and I worry about my recovery. Those drugs would really help.” Out of reach The anti-retrovirals are limited to a few private clinics and the University Teaching hospital in Lusaka. Only a few Zambians can afford the ?325 a year needed for the treatment. “The cost is totally out of reach of most Zambians,” says Daphetone Siame, director of the Zambian programme for the HIV/Aids Alliance. At Hillcrest secondary school more than 100 students cram into a classroom to attend the Family Life Club, an after-class activity that concentrates on sex education. The teenage students groan in disgust when given descriptions of vaginal and anal sex and other sexual behaviour. “Don’t be fooled by their innocence,” says a club organiser. “Many of them, especially the girls, have already had sex. Yet they don’t know very much.” Kaleesh Bwalya, 17, is the head of the club. She stands in front of the group and and captures attention by mentioning headboy Henry Kalubi when describing someone who might carry HIV or other infections. “Look at Henry, he is clean, good looking, he’s a good student, he’s got cash in his pocket. But even he could have an STI,” she says to rounds of laughter. Henry says he does not mind the embarrassment of talking about sex. “As youths we must take up a role in educating one another. We are surrounded by Aids and it is only through education that we can avoid getting it ourselves.”

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